I am so STOKED for this. I think Roy's going to destroy Tarver, especially with as much shit as Tarver's talking.

Also, it's been a while since we've had a boxing thread, so let me add that my GOD does Corrie Sanders have an awesome chin, Manny Pacquiao got robbed of a win over Marquez, and I can't believe Trinidad's first fight is going to be against Ricardo Mayorga. That should be AWESOME.

I said after the first fight that if they fought again and Jones had been hovering around fight weight for a while, Jones would take it in seven, and I'll stick by that. Antonio Tarver is a talented boxer, but Roy Jones is in a different world that no one in the history of boxing has been in. And I seriously believe that, I think he's the most talented fighter of all-time. What's that one stat, he's won over 80% of the rounds he's ever fought in as a pro?

Originally posted by JayJayDeanI can't believe Trinidad's first fight is going to be against Ricardo Mayorga. That should be AWESOME.

Only if it's the Mayorga we all know and love and/or hate, because if it's the Mayorga that showed up fat last fight, Trinidad should handle him rather easily.

Originally posted by JayJayDeanAre you talking about the Spinks fight? I thought that was just a bad match-up for Mayorga. Spinks fought wonderfully and never let Mayorga get in his head.

No, the fight on the Byrd-Golota/Ruiz-Oquendo card that was supposed to be against Jose Rivera for the WBA welterweight title, but he showed up fat (six pounds heavy) and the fight got cancelled, and was switched up to Mayorga v. Eric Mitchell with both fighting about 155.

Mitchell took the fight on a day's notice and won the first few rounds, but Mayorga dominated after that. He still just didn't seem right, but that'll happen when you're six pounds overweight and fighting someone you weren't prepared for I guess. Either way, if he slacks as much training for Trinidad as he did for Rivera, Trinidad isn't going to have a problem with him. Mayorga is a hell of a fun fighter but he's not so good that he can take anything lightly, as that fight with Spinks proved, because Spinks dissected him.

Judah-Pineda should be a decent fight on the undercard since it's going to be a Zab Judah showcase.

Ho-Lee Shiznit! I would have never expected that in a million years. What a punch by Tarver, you will not see anything better than that. I wonder if the writing is on the wall now for Jones, or if this was just a fluke happening. I now expect Jones/Tarver 3 at some point, but I am very curious to see if Jones is brave enough to get in the ring with a man that punches even harder than Tarver, that being Mike Tyson.

"On the same card yesterday, Kostya Tszyu victim Zab Judah won a 12-round split decision over veteran Rafael Pineda, showboating so much after decking the 38-year-old former junior-welterweight champ that he barely scraped home with the verdict"

There's also a bit from Paul Briggs in that article: "Tarver's win was a great boost for me," Briggs said from Las Vegas last night. "Full credit to him for beating Roy Jones but it was a lucky punch thrown with his eyes closed"I don't like guys disrespecting a bloke who just won a world title, but Briggs could realistically beat Tarver, if they actually put it together. Don King wouldn't lie would he?

What's weird is Jones even had his right hand up guarding his face. Somehow Tarver was able to sneak it in super accurate, past Jones' hand lightning quick hand, AND super fast, before Jones could bob or weave to make it a glancing blow.

SO I have a friend now who is telling me that this loss exposes Jones. Basically, he said he is notorious for dodging tough fights, and that he hasn't fought anyone of note. This is the first I have heard of the dodging of fights, considering he has held so many belts and all. Has anyone else heard about this, and can you either give me some more info to confirm or refute these claims?

Heres basically what he sent me though I don't know where he got this article:

Well, I just gotta ask all the residents of Jonestown one thing: Where are you guys? All week I was bombarded by e-mails insisting that this was Montell Griffin all over again (of course, never mind that Griffin and Tarver couldn't be more diametrically opposed in style as prizefighters and that it's a long way from 1997) and that Jones was not focused the first time around and that Tarver had gotten lucky in November.

As Lil' John, would say,' OHHHHHH-KAAAAAAYYYY'

They also told me that this guy was greater than Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Willie Pep, Henry Armstrong, Ray Leonard and even, gasp, Sugar Ray Robinson, in the wake of his win over John Ruiz last year. Yeah, a win over 'The Quiet Man' gives you enough ammunition for fans to put you over the guys I just mentioned.

.....But on the flip side, this guy is really much closer to being the greatest manager, not the greatest fighter, of all-time. He got a sweetheart deal with HBO that allowed him one mis-mandatory after another and he consciously avoided more than one fighter (most of whom he could have beaten).

It just goes to show you, if you match a guy correctly or easily enough (with the blessing of the HBO hype machine), you can make him look like Superman. Well, like Vernon Forrest was for Shane Mosley, Tarver was kryptonite, or as King would say, 'blackonite'

The same technical deficiencies - which are now more accentuated with age and a loss of reflexes - which he got away with against overwhelmed foes, could be exploited by a guy like Tarver, who in addition to his physical tools, had a deep amateur background, and more importantly, had the mindset and mentality to take on Jones.

Tarver was almost Archie Moore-like in his pursuit of Jones, from drawing up humorous pictures lampooning Jones that he put out, to crashing his post-fight press conference after the Ruiz fight, to continually assaulting him in the media to spread his gospel. Then, there was the negotiating phase, where Team Tarver -led by Muniz - stood firm on their demands at all costs. Even for the rematch, on the verge of being low-balled, they had an ace in the hole in King, putting both Jones and HBO off balance with their trump card. King, out of nowhere, would shock the boxing world by winning the purse bid with a bid of $8.5 million, catching everyone off guard.

Only in America.

Tarver was never one of these guys who would thank Roy profusely for giving him the fight for a mere fraction of whatever Jones was getting for his license fee from HBO. Tarver demanded respect, and he would fight in and out of the ring, before and during the fight.

What happened in the last two bouts with Jones is really no fluke. If you face enough solid guys, you will have your rough nights. That's the immutable law of boxing, but never has someone been given so much credit for bypassing these risks like Jones.

Now, let's do this again: How many of you out there really believe that Jones could have beaten Bob Foster?

GRANDADDY SOUF

Usually most hip-hop groups that provide the intro music for fighters' walk ins are pretty flat, but Grandaddy Souf, who did Tarver's intro, was someone I liked.

He made me laugh with his one line, 'run, chicken, run'.

"I'ma tell you something, for two-and-a-half years, Roy's been runnin' from my boy," he said from ringside, just minutes after Tarver's victory. "The boy, Roy Jones, been runnin' from my homeboy Tarver for two-and-a half years, so I had to do it. 'Run, chicken, run'. I had to do that because it was written, I just had to manifest it, that's all."

Originally posted by Doc_whiskeySO I have a friend now who is telling me that this loss exposes Jones. Basically, he said he is notorious for dodging tough fights, and that he hasn't fought anyone of note. This is the first I have heard of the dodging of fights, considering he has held so many belts and all. Has anyone else heard about this, and can you either give me some more info to confirm or refute these claims?

I have LONG maintained that Jones was just SO GOOD that nobody of note (like Hopkins) that could have fought at 175 had Roy not been there would make the jump to challenge him, so the sanctioning bodies were forced to name SOMEBODY their #1 contender and that led to five years of Roy blowouts. Of course, some of those guys like David Telesco and Richard Hall actually went over and gave good accounting of themselves in fight with Darius Michalszewski, who held the WBO belt FOREVER and wouldn't come fight Roy. Guys who could've challenged Roy like Tarver stayed at 168, where the division has been wide-open for some time.

Originally posted by Doc_whiskeySO I have a friend now who is telling me that this loss exposes Jones. Basically, he said he is notorious for dodging tough fights, and that he hasn't fought anyone of note. This is the first I have heard of the dodging of fights, considering he has held so many belts and all. Has anyone else heard about this, and can you either give me some more info to confirm or refute these claims?

I have LONG maintained that Jones was just SO GOOD that nobody of note (like Hopkins) that could have fought at 175 had Roy not been there would make the jump to challenge him, so the sanctioning bodies were forced to name SOMEBODY their #1 contender and that led to five years of Roy blowouts. Of course, some of those guys like David Telesco and Richard Hall actually went over and gave good accounting of themselves in fight with Darius Michalszewski, who held the WBO belt FOREVER and wouldn't come fight Roy. Guys who could've challenged Roy like Tarver stayed at 168, where the division has been wide-open for some time.

I think the combination of Roy's outrageous purse percentage demands and his unwavering belief that he is always the main attraction were a way for him to avoid facing Hopkins. Admittedly, the Jones/Hopkins fight would be even more beneficial to Hopkins. Hopkins has only had 3 fights since unifying the title against Trinidad in September 2001 and has been virtually off the radar, with the exception of the Joppy decision last December. If Roy doesn't want a Tarver rematch, couldn't Jones/Hopkins happen at 168 or 175? Or is there too much momentum now for Hopkins/De La Hoya?

JayJay, do you feel 168 is too low for Roy to come down now? I know Roy hasn't fought middle/super-middle since 1996, but having him fight heavyweights is so boring. This is just a fight I'd love to see, these guys can't stand each other and it's a natural with a great backstory. I think Roy would win, but why can't this happen?

Originally posted by NickBockwinkelFanI think the combination of Roy's outrageous purse percentage demands and his unwavering belief that he is always the main attraction were a way for him to avoid facing Hopkins. Admittedly, the Jones/Hopkins fight would be even more beneficial to Hopkins. Hopkins has only had 3 fights since unifying the title against Trinidad in September 2001 and has been virtually off the radar, with the exception of the Joppy decision last December. If Roy doesn't want a Tarver rematch, couldn't Jones/Hopkins happen at 168 or 175? Or is there too much momentum now for Hopkins/De La Hoya?

JayJay, do you feel 168 is too low for Roy to come down now? I know Roy hasn't fought middle/super-middle since 1996, but having him fight heavyweights is so boring. This is just a fight I'd love to see, these guys can't stand each other and it's a natural with a great backstory. I think Roy would win, but why can't this happen?

I thought Roy's demand for a 60/40 split with Hopkins was fair and I think Bernard should've taken the fight. I wonder if he's kicking himself now for not doing so.

I think it would make sense for Roy to fight Hopkins at 168 if he beat Tarver in a rematch first. I read going into this fight that before the first Tarver fight Roy thought he could sweat off the weight he gained for the Ruiz fight easily, and after not having been able to do so he had hired a doctor to help him with nutrition to make 175 easier, so I'd think Roy could fight at 168 one time.

If Hopkins beats Oscar I'd love to see a Hopkins/Roy fight in spring 2005, but right now I'm just happy to have the Hopkins-De La Hoya fight to look forward to.